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students to present before Congress
Research by student participants in the MUSC’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program was selected for presentation on April 14 to members of Congress in Washington. Citadel students K. Christian Walters and Arthur Baker were selected to present the results of their independent research projects at the Undergraduate Research Poster Session on Capitol Hill. The program is sponsored by the Council on Undergraduate Research as a method for the science community to ensure that those in the U.S. Congress who provide funding for science and sciences education have a clear understanding of the programs they fund and why these programs are important. The two are among 80 in the nation and the only students from South Carolina to be selected. Walters and Baker spent last summer at the Medical University doing the research that they will present. Walters worked in the MUSC Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the laboratory of Michael G. Schmidt, Ph.D., on a project involving the use of microorganisms for the safe destruction of hazardous organic waste. Baker worked in the Endocrinology Division with Alice Jenkins, M.D., on a project to determine which individuals with diabetes are likely to have severe complications of the disease. The MUSC Summer Undergraduate Research Program has been offered by MUSC since 1980 and has had approximately 40 participants a year for the past several summers. The highly competitive program provides the opportunity for rising junior or senior undergraduate students to undertake an original research project as an apprentice to an active research scientist in fundamental science research. This experience enables students to build skills and understanding to prepare them for graduate school and careers as research scientists. |